Reader view | No excuses! Spay and neuter your pet

February is National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and it also houses one of the most important days of the year for animal shelters, rescues and other animal welfare groups – World Spay Day.

The Leader

Writer

Posted Feb. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 22, 2013 at 10:14 PM

Posted Feb. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 22, 2013 at 10:14 PM

CORNING

February is National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and it also houses one of the most important days of the year for animal shelters, rescues and other animal welfare groups – World Spay Day.

Feb. 26 is Spay Day and it is a special day that provides a unique opportunity for animal lovers and advocates around the world to join together toward one common goal – a comprehensive and united effort to educate the public about the benefits of spaying and neutering and how this simple process can help end the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable companion animals in shelters and the suffering of those abandoned out on the streets around the world.

Many people in our community have heard this message before – spay and neuter to save lives. So much so that the effect of these words on those that hear them may have diminished. By the numbers, the importance of spaying and neutering your pets can become a little clearer. According to the ASPCA, approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year and only about 10 percent of those animals are spayed or neutered upon their arrival. On average, 3 million to 4 million animals are euthanized every year, many because there were simply no homes available to take them in.

At the Chemung County SPCA, an average of 2,000 dogs and cats from our community are admitted into the shelter each year. While those animals sit and wait to be adopted into a new family, the unaltered dogs and cats in our community continue to contribute to the population. An unaltered cat and her offspring, in just seven months, can produce 125 kittens. Fast forward seven years and that same cat and her offspring can contribute up to 420,000 new kittens to the community, many of which will end up sitting in shelters where resources and space are already extremely limited. There are many reasons that you could argue for not getting your pet fixed, and as an employee at the Chemung SPCA, I have heard them all – it’s too expensive, it’s not healthy for my pet, it’s easy to find homes for cute puppies/kittens or it’s going to change my pet’s personality. None of these reasons can justify letting animals in shelters suffer or be euthanized simply because there is no place left to go.

The solution is simple. Getting your dog or cat spayed or neutered will stop this vicious cycle and help shelters, rescues and animal welfare groups locally and around the world fight pet overpopulation. For those of you who have had your pets fixed already – thank you! I encourage you to help in the fight by making a donation to a local shelter or spay/neuter group and encouraging your friends to follow your example. Also, for those of you out there looking to add a furry friend to your family, remember the pets waiting in shelters and adopt instead of shop. Those animals deserve a second chance and are waiting for you. Together, we can save lives – spay and neuter your pets!